Archives

44 Facts About The Death Of The Middle Class That Every American Should Know

By Michael Snyder, on July 30th, 2013

What is America going to look like when the middle class is dead? Once upon a time, the United States has the largest and most vibrant middle class in the history of the world. When I was growing up, it seemed like almost everyone was “middle class” and it was very rare to hear of someone that was out of work. Of course life wasn’t perfect, but most families owned a home, most families had more than one vehicle, and most families could afford nice vacations and save for retirement at the same time. Sadly, things have dramatically changed in America since that time. There just aren’t as many “middle class jobs” as there used to be. In fact, just six years ago there were about six million more full-time jobs in our economy than there are right now. Those jobs are being replaced by part-time jobs and temp jobs. The number one employer in America today is Wal-Mart and the number two employer in America today is a temp agency (Kelly Services). But you can’t support a family on those kinds of jobs. We live at a time when incomes are going down but the cost of living just keeps going up. As a result, the middle class in America is being absolutely shredded and the ranks of the poor are steadily growing. The following are 44 facts about the death of the middle class that every American should know…

1. According to one recent survey, “four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives”.

2. The growth rate of real disposable personal income is the lowest that it has been in decades.

3. Median household income (adjusted for inflation) has fallen by 7.8 percent since the year 2000.

4. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the middle class is taking home a smaller share of the overall income pie than has ever been recorded before.

5. The home ownership rate in the United States is the lowest that it has been in 18 years.

6. It is more expensive to rent a home in America than ever before. In fact, median asking rent for vacant rental units just hit a brand new all-time record high.

7. According to one recent survey, 76 percent of all Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

13. The U.S. economy continues to trade good paying jobs for low paying jobs. 60 percent of the jobs lost during the last recession were mid-wage jobs, but 58 percent of the jobs created since then have been low wage jobs.

14. Back in 1980, less than 30% of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40% of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.

15. At this point, one out of every four American workers has a job that pays $10 an hour or less.

16. According to one study, between 1969 and 2009 the median wages earned by American men between the ages of 30 and 50 declined by 27 percent after you account for inflation.

21. When you total up all working age Americans that do not have a job, it comes to more than 100 million.

22. The average duration of unemployment in the United States is nearly three times as long as it was back in the year 2000.

23. The percentage of Americans that are self-employed has steadily declined over the past decade and is now at an all-time low.

24. Right now there are 20.2 million Americans that spend more than half of their incomes on housing. That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001.

25. In 1989, the debt to income ratio of the average American family was about 58 percent. Today it is up to 154 percent.

26. Total U.S. household debt grew from just 1.4 trillion dollars in 1980 to a whopping 13.7 trillion dollars in 2007. This played a huge role in the financial crisis of 2008, and the problem still has not been solved.

30. Consumer debt in the United States has risen by a whopping 1700% since 1971, and 46% of all Americans carry a credit card balance from month to month.

31. In 1999, 64.1 percent of all Americans were covered by employment-based health insurance. Today, only 55.1 percent are covered by employment-based health insurance.

32. One study discovered that approximately 41 percent of all working age Americans either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical debt, and according to a report published in The American Journal of Medicine medical bills are a major factor in more than 60 percent of all personal bankruptcies in the United States.

33. Each year, the average American must work 107 days just to make enough money to pay local, state and federal taxes.

34. Today, approximately 46.2 million Americans are living in poverty.

41. According to one calculation, the number of Americans on food stamps now exceeds the combined populations of “Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.”

42. At this point, more than a million public school students in the United States are homeless. This is the first time that has ever happened in our history. That number has risen by 57 percent since the 2006-2007 school year.

43. According to U.S. Census data, 57 percent of all American children live in a home that is either considered to be “poor” or “low income”.

44. In the year 2000, the ratio of social welfare benefits to salaries and wages was approximately 21 percent. Today, the ratio of social welfare benefits to salaries and wages is approximately 35 percent.

And not only is the middle class being systematically destroyed right now, we are also destroying the bright economic future that our children and our grandchildren were supposed to have by accumulating gigantic mountains of debt in their names. The following is from a recent article by Bill Bonner…

Today, the U.S. lumbers into the future with total debt equal to about 350% of GDP. In Britain and Japan, the total is over 500%. Debt, remember, is the homage that the future pays to the past. It has to be carried, serviced… and paid. It has to be reckoned with… one way or another.

And the cost of carrying debt is going up! Over the last few weeks, interest rates have moved up by about 15% — an astounding increase for the sluggish debt market. How long will it be before long-term borrowing rates are back to “normal”?

At 5% interest, a debt that measures 3.5 times your revenue will cost about one-sixth of your income. Before taxes. After tax, you will have to work about one day a week to keep up with it (to say nothing of paying it off!).

That’s a heavy burden. It is especially disagreeable when someone else ran up the debt. Then you are a debt slave. That is the situation of young people today. They must face their parents’ debt. Even serfs in the Dark Ages had it better. They had to work only one day out of 10 for their lords and masters.

We were handed the keys to the greatest economic machine in the history of the planet and we wrecked it.

As young people realize that their futures have been destroyed, many of them are going to totally lose hope and give in to despair.

And desperate people do desperate things. As our economy continues to crumble, we are going to see crime greatly increase as people do what they feel they need to do in order to survive. In fact, we are already starting to see this happen. Just this week, CNBC reported on the raging epidemic of copper theft that we are seeing all over the nation right now…

Those are just a handful of recent targets across the U.S. in the $1 billion business of copper theft.

“There’s no question the theft has gotten much, much worse,” said Mike Adelizzi, president of the American Supply Association, a nonprofit group representing distributors and suppliers in the plumbing, heating, cooling and industrial pipe industries.

The United States once had the greatest middle class in the history of the world, but now it it dying.

This is causing a tremendous amount of anger and frustration to build in this nation, and when the next major wave of the economic collapse strikes, a lot of that anger and frustration will likely be unleashed.

The American people don’t understand that these problems have taken decades to develop. They just want someone to fix things. They just want things to go back to the way that they used to be.

Unfortunately, the great economic storm that is coming is not going to be averted.

I would love to hear from some people from various areas around the country?

What is the status of the middle class where you live?

Michael

marcopolo7

I live in Silicon Valley. I’ve been working in the high tech industry for 15 year now (software engineer). I don’t know what middle class is around here, but I will tell you this – all my colleagues make over 100k a year. As do their spouses. And they both work. And pay at least $10k for _each_ of their kids to go to private school. All of us are college educated – most of my colleagues have a masters and/or PhD. Most, if not all single family homes around here are over $600k. Most of my colleagues are busy, busy, busy running to and fro. I make over $130k and I don’t even consider myself close to being rich.

I bike to work and take public transportation. We live in a “manufactured home” (a mobile home). It works fine for us – most importantly, we have no mortgage (we do pay a lot lease of $900). We have no car payments. In other words, no debt. My wife doesn’t work. Takes care of our two beautiful kids. Good quality of life. I’m so thankful for all that we have.

I think the key is living below your means and being aware of what is going on around you and saving for a rainy day. That’s “old school” thinking, but I think it is the right thing to do. I’m a “closet prepper”, but I do call out things to my coworkers and friends from time to time. So many people want to keep up with the Joneses. It is said that people don’t have a dinner with their own family members these days and talk about their day. You don’t have to be rich to do that. It’s all about your priorities in life.

Bryan Edwards

You are my new young hero. I am 55 raised 3 kids on my own, ride my bike, and preach living below your means. Life is about choices.

markthetruth

There’s no better felling then not owing anyone money for your Belongings .

the end…

GSOB

Except, you don’t ever own land out right do you?

2Gary2

agreed!

Also remember–“nothing tastes as good as being thin feels”

Deb

Michael, I live in North Central Illinois. About 60 miles southeast of Chicago. The town we live in has about 8,000 in it. Very “middle class” farm community. Unemployment is high and so is underemployment. We know many people living off 2 part time jobs. That seems to be the norm around here. Or people taking jobs that they would never of considered in the past, just to get by. My son used to work for CAT in Aurora, but was “let go” in order to bring in new workers at a lower pay scale. It took him over a year(which really isn’t bad) to find a part time job with 3M. He was hired to work 20 hours a week but is working 40+. So at this time he is doing OK.The rentals in this area are high priced also. The gas prices around here are high to say the least. $4.10, $4.25, very normal.I work in a preschool about 18 miles away. We are a subsidized facility and about 75% of the families that use our services qualify for government help. That has gone up from 50% since I started a year and a half ago.

greyprepper

Denver, CO. Profoundly wealthy metro area. I strongly believe that this place will be one of the last places to fall economically. Socially is a different story… One helluva police state to boot.

GSOB

GSOB – Aurora CO

El Pollo de Oro

I find that cities run by Democraps fall into two main categories. Denver, Boston, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle: major gentrification zones, pricey and affluent. Whole Foods and Starbucks galore. On the other hand……Detroit, Baltimore, Camden: war zones.

Bad_Mr_Frosty

::cough:: demographics ::cough::

shogun_01

From Toronto Canada here. Things aren’t so bad in this area, work is still hard to comeby , but grocery stores and fast food chains and Walmart all seem ready to hire. Most people from highschool that went to post secondary school and received degrees, never landed jobs on their fields. Most of them still live at home, its scary to see that almost none own property.

For my age of 25 my wage isn’t bad. 24$ an hour (most guys at my work make 33+) and an easy 50 hours a week. Hard work but pays the bills. Rent I would say an average of 1100-1300. Housing prices have shot way up since 2008.

Most business from what I see are just holding on, making just enough to function. I would say that this city lies just in the realm of comfort, far from the realities of the rest of north America

GOM

There is no middle class here in the Florida Panhandle. Only folks who have money are the retired and they hate everyone. They own all the antique stores[big business] and most thriving businesses and restuarants. Military is big here, they spend every dime they have on stupid stuff and taxis. Tourist are way down since the spill. Now for the good news. A major food chain here is going out of business[Food World] Another is losing 20k a month to theft. Every other property it seems is up for sale. There are tons of empty real estate[store fronts] There are thrift stores opening everywhere. People are selling goods on the streets, only to be run off by the cops. Crime is getting out of hand. Most don’t go out after dark. Police are beating up the homeless at the beaches. Panhandling now is mainly younger people. Where did all the older ones go? And so on…..Oh, and black Americans are getting wise to Obama. Signing out from Pensacola.

squashpants

Michael, I live in Northfield, Minnesota, a small farming/college town. Everyone I see here seems to be economically fine. The town itself is well maintained. It is a town working towards self-sufficiency even as they take a progressive attitudes towards political matters. All the family farms around here appear to be doing well and that bodes well for post-SHTF. Of course, everyone is paying the high taxes you would expect, but I see my neighbors coming home from shopping with all kinds of stuff. Our condo treasurer told us she works 12-hour days. So you can make a decent living here apparently but you have to work like a slave. I am retired so I don’t know much about the labor market here. But the state unemployment rate is less than 6%, and Minnesota seems to have it somewhat together even with state budget deficits. This little burg is exactly where I want to be when the SHTF.

2Gary2

Walker is doing his best to destroy the middle class in WI. What do you expect from a drop out.

americalsgt

Rhode Island is a City State and aptly called Rogue Island. Corruption in government is rampant and has been controlled by the Democratic Machine for over 50 years. We could be the first state Detroit. Other states have higher numbers and appear worse, but people are leaving in droves which decreases tax revenue which then brings on more taxes and fees and more people then leave. The unemployment rate has to be greater than the current ? rate of 9% and the people working two jobs and trying to just get by only leads to many giving up and going on public assistance or disability. There really is little hope here, and the democratic machine will continue as it did in Detroit by getting those on the dole to continue to vote them back into office.

El Pollo de Oro

Here in Democrap-controlled Philadelphia (or as they call it in some parts of town, Killadelphia), the contrasts are dramatic. You have gentrified areas that are booming while the deprived ghetto areas are as dilapidated and run-down as ever. You have luxury high-rise condos going for $500,000 in Rittenhouse Square and nightly shootings and abandoned buildings in the ‘hood. That said, you can’t judge the overall health of the economy by how well people are doing in hyper-gentrified areas. You have to look at the middle class, and in my part of town (historically lower middle class, Irish/Polish/Italian/Catholic/Polish working class blue collar), a lot folks are struggling badly. You know the stereotypical rowhouse guy in a wife beater who is standing on his front porch cussing and screaming because the Phillies lost but he still goes to church on Sunday and works his butt off taking care of his kids? That’s my neighborhood, and around here, many folks who weren’t struggling in the past are struggling now. I know a barber who cuts hair for nine bucks, and he lost a lot of customers after the turmoil of Sept. 2008 and beyond.

Matt

Long Island. Teachers,cops,etc living large!..as if all is fixed. Hamptons,montauk all hopping busy. I wish the reset button wud come faster..thx for your articles.

Rodster

And yet you will never hear about this from the Lame Stream Media, sigh.

Rodster

In my area which is SW Florida, it’s been getting tighter for my customers so on a case by case basis I lower my price when they need auto repairs. I still find road signs advertising homes for sale (cash only). Many are advertised as foreclosed.

I’ve started seeing people living out of their cars. It’s not a daily occurrence but I have been noticing it.

Some areas of the country like Silicon Valley still have good paying jobs but for most of the country it’s not nearly as good. Florida’s economy is based on construction and tourism. New construction is really bad in FL and has been since 2008. No recovery except in places like Miami (international purchases).

GOM

bring on the reality baby!

maby

agree, new construction in miami is moving. and yes international purchases only , middle class neighborhood start getting more foreclosures home lately, and commercial space for lease sign are everywhere. local people just qualify for a homes in poor neighborhoods .

josh

Michael,

I live in Maryland where there is a lot of federal funding so there has been only mild effects of the economic crisis here. I live outside Baltimore and in the city it is still bad but has been for awhile. In the suburbs where I live the middle class is doing fine.The furloughs are affecting the large amount of federal employees here so we’ll see how that affect the middle class locally. The only thing I have noticed besides a few store closings is more older workers at local retail stores than before the recession.

mattjerch

simply seems like too many people are doing well for this to be called economic collapse, whether it one big event or gradual

greyprepper

Agreed. Build yourself a good safety net of preps and get back to living! That’s what I decided anyhow. You can always supplement your prepping nest egg as your budget allows but don’t let the doom and gloom get you down. On the other hand, don’t stick your head back in the sand just because you don’t see riots on the street yet… This world is just far too unstable to take preparedness for granted!

mattjerch

good thoughts! prepping should always be a part of your life even if you are not a die-hard “prepper.”
I should have stayed in stocks instead of buying gold/silver, brutal timing, downs 32K!
But nothing is ever a guarantee anyway.

squashpants

Started prepping about 8 months ago, and I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now with stockpiling and preparing for loss of modern conveniences. We could be totally ready by October this year, and start collecting barterables in earnest. If you haven’t started prepping yet, do NOT waste another second. Get to work while this cardboard economy is still held together by spit and bubble gum. If the SHTF by year end, you could be ready. On the other hand, if the economy DOESN’T go south, then at the very least you won’t have to spend as much on inflated goods because you have lots already stockpiled.

GOM

these people are talking their neighborhoods and their take on reality. actually, I would expect these types to read this blog. and I would expect them to say what they did. what if I told you that I just travelled the US via route 40 from NV to Fl and saw what was really going on such as boarded up towns and airports. vandalism, filthy dangerous cities, abandoned houses/buildings in staggering numbers, groups of young people standing around looking lost. every bank, and large store has a cop. not everyone has the same reality…Godspeed to all

northernconservative

Don’t forget how many government workers get paid by the dwindling private sector…government doesn’t produce anything. Those people are a large percentage of those doing well in our economy. Wait til their world changes…I suspect we will see how well that goes over as the detroit debacle unfolds.

mattjerch

very good point! so true! private supports the public 100k+ salaries that produce nothing.thank you

mattjerch

Again, I see your points! But still really feels that we will be reading the same articles in 10 years. nothing against Michael. articles are great. but if a collapse was coming, I think it would have come already. Aint know economic collapse on the beaches of westahmpton….my wife and friends say beaches packed and $9 drinks being served like crazy. There will always be poverty areas and rich areas. …..or maybe I am stupid and long island will just get hit last.

Ralfine

Government gets paid by printed money. They then buy stuff from the private sector which takes the money and saves it in the Bahamas.

Or they buy stuff from the Chinese who buy US Treasury bonds with it.

In some countries you can buy permanent residency by investing some money for a certain time.

So, there are still things you can buy with USD.

oldman

I suspect when Helicopter Ben leaves the economy will follow him out the door. with the Firestone cops we laughingly call our government the fiasco will be quite a show,

2Gary2

Yes these low wage employers need to be forced to pay a living wage.

The Big Mac in Australia is about the same price as in the USA.
However, if you are age 21, the Minimum wage law of Australia mandates
the McDonalds employee is paid $16.37 an hour. The Australian dollar is
equal to the US Dollar in purchasing power.

Raising the Minimum Wage in the USA to Australian levels would have
minimal impact on the cost of the Big Mac in the USA. The Sky will not
Fall if the Minimum wage rates in the USA is raised.

Rodster

Why stop at $16.37? Why not $65 per/hr? Come on Gary you gotta think like Paul Krugman. At $65 per/hr with a 40 hour week they’d have enough to buy healthcare, a new car, buy a new home with a pool. Send their kids to college.

See now that’s how you spur an economy. It’s the Paul Krugman way.

2Gary2

as usual you are taking things to the extreme. You have a straw man argument designed to appeal to low info voters, mainly conservatives. Sorry but I am capable of critical thinking. I would advise you to avail yourself of this skill if possible. It beats parroting rush.

markthetruth

Save Money get rid of the ” Middle Man ” and your left with the Master and the Slave .

the end…

Overman18

Middle Class has been taking a whipping for a while now
Layoff / Closing List – Dailyjobcuts com
‘

Justin Ayers

It’s never “the end” with you. Why not say “to be continued”?

SafetyViking

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder….

markthetruth

How is it that our Highly Paid Government Accountants (crooks) can get last month’s GDP of by 61% from 1.8 down to 1.1 . With all the computer software available . Again at a Job a error like this requires Firing of the Department Heads. This Crap goes on way to much. Or as we Know they just don’t want to give us the true Facts and Numbers .

the end…

jaxon64

neither should get any money—let the state of Michigan and the people of the city handle their affairs–power to the states as intended. Why should taxes from my state bail out the citizens of another state?
That’s not the job of the Fed govt according to the constitution…….likewise it is not our government’s job to give money to foreign countries ( unless the populace agrees to assist with a natural disaster of some sort)…
Individually, I feel for the people of Detroit who are suffering–but as for the poorly managed city finances–destroyed by decades of liberal ideology–let them reap what they have sown. Any bailout of Detroit won’t get to the little people who are hurting anyhow. Some ploiticos who caused most of the problems with their over-regulating and over-taxing will just pocket it ( they’ll probably form some commitees to study the issues and pay themselves handsomely for not solving anything and then pay the beauracrats and politicians the rest for implementing ineffective reforms of some sort)..
A billion to Detroit would be as effective in fixing any of their problems as a billion in Columbia would be in stopping them from selling coke to American buyers in N America…it’s all useless waste…

guest

Save in gold or silver, not FRNs. So at least it will hold its value.

Colin

Nearly a century ago, Henry Ford raised the wages he paid his workers. This wasn’t altruism. It was good business sense. If his employees could buy one of the cars they helped built, they would increase the company’s profits and, through talking with family and friends about how great a car the Ford was, this auto company could increase its number of buyers and be competitive. Ford’s action is one of the factors that was considered when people talk about the birth of the middle class in this nation.

Personally, I don’t understand why people don’t understand the connection between the wages an employee earns and their purchasing power. If a person has greater purchasing power, they can put more money into the economy. Every time I hear why we shouldn’t raise the minimum wage, I hear that it will hurt the businesses that hire employees. How can it hurt them when their employees are actually able to pay for their products, as what happened at Ford Motor Corporation? Will it take another Great Depression to force people to acknowledge this connection?

Rodster

Well you’re in luck because all those low paying jobs at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Walmart allows their workers to buy food from the discount menu and crap built in China.

So yeah, the Henry Ford formula has been applied here as well albeit it’s in reverse, LOL.

jaded

Very true! Work for peanuts at a crappy fast food job then eat the poison on your break!

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

There is nothing wrong w/the Ford formula when every man is paid according to his worth.

Laughing out loud when others struggle is what got us to this point and shows your concern of others or the lack there of?

Georgiaboy61

Good post, Colin…. it is incomprehensible that major corporations and the political class don’t “get” the fundamental relationship of which you wrote. In truth, the “prosperity” of America over the last 40 years has been built mostly on debt, which isn’t real “wealth” at all, but an illusion.

http://americandictators.blogspot.com/ WarriorClass III

It’s very comprehensible if you understand that the corporations are owned by the Banksters who have all the money they want and can print more. Or if you consider that since they have all that money what they want now is power.

And the biggest obstacle to the total power they want is an informed, strong, and armed middle class.

For the most part they have achieve the goal of removing that obstacle, for we can no longer say that the middle class is either informed or educated, or physically and financially strong. And although armed, so far there has been no will to use those arms to regain their country or their freedom, for that takes great Faith both in God and the understanding that they are doing the right thing and that a Just God will help them in their struggle even as He helped our Founding Fathers. I don’t see the Faith of the Founding Fathers in America today, generally, although there are pockets of people spread throughout the country that do. And perhaps that will be enough to start a revival. I pray that we do, and then determine to retake our Founder’s Republic.

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

It has been said, It takes money to make money?

Borrowing money for investment is a worth while attempt IF, the interest rates are Fair, You’re living w/in your means, and your business model is sound?

Unfortunately Far to many at the top
as Predators and Thieves feel ENTITLED to Fleece the country w/high interest credit cards and teaser rates extended to unknowing victims sold the MTV Lie of gottahaveitnow, and all lends power and wealth to Greed and Her investors?

Give America the same Interest Rates as Jamie get Rich on the backs of American Debtors Dimon
and his Banking Cohorts…

FDR made AFFORDABLE Loans to Farmers and Families to help Americans out of the Great Depression and the Low interest rates we hear of today are wasted on enriching the already self absorbed wealthy. Shame.

Vote a Jesus would Really vote and not on one or two issues while being led thru the nose to oppress others?

Ralfine

No matter how big your wage is you won’t buy a tank. So why bother?

And in Walmart people have no choice. They have to eat. For anything else they can ask the taxpayer.

LGreen311

Ralfine, have you not ever heard of ‘Food Stamps’?? So what was that about the people at Walmart have to eat, but can’t get help from the government for their food requirements, which is exactly what food stamps do! Record numbers of people are currently depending on these food stamps to keep food on the table, and it is at the taxpayers expense, just like all the rest of government.

On a side note, you can buy a tank, it will however come without any of the high-tech electronics or munitions and will have been fixed so they will not fire even if you did have ammunition for it, but you are correct on one thing, you won’t be able to afford one on minimum wage.

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

Unfortunately, as correct as you are regardless of another great depression as the one we are still struggling thru thanks to so many companies paying Homage to the almighty shareholder, officers and Ceo’s etc, continually screwing Labor and their American families, we are reaping exactly as you point out?

The wealthy few are reaping Reagan style returns since NAFTA and we race toward 3rd world status.

When one group in society is Oppressed so another group profits we have
Capitol Lust ism.

Keep in mind the food stamps and entitlements where a direct correlation
of the deregulatory fast and loose, build a housing bubble then collapse it by unsustainable ARM’s and job losses.

Thank GWB and his party and Dogs of Greed for EXPLOITING our biggest Job creators in housing and credit leaving American families in a perfect storm of the Greatest Deleveraging and all w/destroyed credit, a Perfect Storm by design.

Thank a Republican for now but be wary as the Tea Party, me and miners are very content to infiltrate the left for reducing their tax burdens and/or increasing their profits all the same at the expense of our Children’s American Dream and the economic stability of a Nation.

Live simply so others may simply live. Realizing the less you consume the less you owe and thus more you save and keep for investment into YOUR business?

Support small business and boycott all those who follow the Wallmart model of less for Labor and more for Capitol while 4 of the top 10 Billionaires have the last name of Walton.

Yes It Is a Sin to be Wealthy if You got there while Climbing on the necks of another human being struggling to survive.
Even if it was thru a common stock investment off a already listed 3rd world country opressing Their Citizens?

kenfrombayside

Keep the pressure on your reps in congress. Giving 11 – 30 million (nobody knows for sure) criminal lawbreakers legalization pure insanity. Plus, they could sponsor their relatives; that would bring the total up to about 50 million aliens in our midst. Of course, these new citizens will vote for the vile democrats and their socialist giveaways. Most of them will be unskilled, uneducated, low IQ etc. Stop this outrageous bill now. Don’t sit on the sidelines.You are not wasting your time. The American people don’t want this bill. You have to do all you can do to stem the third world assault:
– Contact your 2 US Senators and rep in congress.
– after biz hours, leave a message on your DC rep’s voicemail. All US Senators have multiple offices so it would be a good idea to hit all of the. Remember, be civil and don’t threaten
– go to NUMBERSUSA then go to the take action button. You will be able to send faxes to your 2 US Senators and congressional for free. (I also gave a $50 donation).
– use Business Reply envelopes to state your opposition to America’s insane immigration policies and the proposed amnesty. Don’t give the parties any money.
– join an immigration group like FAIR. Strength thru numbers!
– go to the RNC & DNC sites to email them.
– Use the media: call a talk radio program; write a letter to your local paper. If the media outlet is liberal, then talk about economic impact of massive third world immigration.
– text everybody in your cell phone queue now.
IF YOU DO OR SAY NOTHING, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

GSOB

Voting is the opiate for the masses.
Don’t you realize?
Election results are fixed!

TN Gal

Here in southeast TN we have jobs, mostly parttime or low wage. Our problem these days are so many people dependent on government programs no one wants to work. They do better on programs than working partying and paying for insurance. Housing still very depressed. Seeing more homeless around and local churches straining to provide food. Crime is up and drugs, which were down, are coming back with a vengeance. Middle class here are senior citizens on SS, younger retirees not the older ones. Older ones seem to be struggling. Sad.

2Gary2

if people do better on government programs then the low pay private sector must really suck. If they can get people to work at their low wages then they need to raise the wages and stop blaming their failure on the government.

MeMadMax

So what happens when the company can’t afford to pay higher min wage? I’m not talking about big corp places like mcdonalds, i’m talking about jobs like secretary’s, janitors, etc etc… I’ll tell you what will happen: They will lose their jobs. 3 Janitors turn into 2. 5 secretary’s turn into 4… Don’t bother arguing with me on this, I know you…

I think one has to do what one has to do to take care of their families and if that means taking government aid then so be it.

I will leave you with an example from my past that no one on this site will believe even though it is true.

When I was unemployed back in 2009 I was receiving unemployment. I actually took a job that paid less than I would “make” simply sitting home on unemployment. I figured the best way to get a job was to have a job. 3 years of gross underemployment later I am now doing fairly well and have a good job. (thank you God. I am so grateful for a good job)

Louise in MO

Gary, your reply is a great example of what I meant in my comment. You absolutely are to be commended for your choice to work and not take the easier way out.

The fact that you now have a better job is great! You represent what a healthy self-respect can do.

God Bless.

Tim

Same here in Australia. Saw a program last night that a homeless person was given a public housing trust for 5 years. She then got a job & after 4 years made redundant. She was told she can not reapply for public housing & was told she would have been better not taking the job & staying in public housing. This world is seriously F@#$%ED UP.

skywatcher

If most people miss 2 pay checks and get no food stamps they will go from whatever class they think they are in to no class at all and will be homeless and hungry..

northernconservative

Its amazing what money or a lack therof will do to anperson…

Mondobeyondo

Why are you surprised? Money is a medium of exchange and therefore, a medium of control, if placed in the wrong hands.

2Gary2

“people’ (AKA Republicans) use the simplistic and erroneous concept
“America Should Balance Its Budget Just Like American Families Do”
because they are appealing to “low information voters.”

GSOB

‘You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot
help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by
doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.’
– John Henry Boetker

or

‘Past studies by and large confirm the prediction that higher minimum wages reduce employment opportunities and raise unemployment, particularly among teenagers, minorities and other low-skilled workers.’ –
Masanori Hashimoto

2Gary2

again–can you do more than parrot fox news talking pointed?

I would not say that taxing the rich more would destroy them. They did just fine when the taxes were much higher.

Almost all studies show that raising the minimum wage has no effect on employment. By your logic we should pay a penny an hour, we would have a lot more jobs then.

Like I said the repubes are the party of ayn rand.

davidmpark

We can only dream that the Republicans are the party of Ayn Rand. Right now they are closer to European progressive/nationalists.

Gay Veteran

the 2 parties are 2 sides of the same coin

Louise in MO

Agreed. Sorry to have to say so, but tis true.

Shmeggle Marxist

can you do anything but lick the obama testicle?_______________

SVD

As much as I dislike the current POTUS and disagree with Gary 2 you are way out of line with your trash talk! There is no need to act like that. Gary has a right to express his opinion without you ‘expressing’ your thoughts the way you do.

GSOB

2Gary2 blogs

‘Almost all studies show that raising the minimum wage has no effect on employment.’

Then why bother?

2Gary2

because people that work should be paid a living wage. Giving more money to people who work for low wages will stimulate the economy much more than another round of tax cuts for the rich.

Its hard to believe you actually had to even ask the question. I will give you the benefit if the doubt and assume it was meant as tongue in cheek.

Gay Veteran

The problem is that corporations have been increasing their profits on the backs of their workers. That is why the workers share of GDP is going down.

Shmeggle Marxist

yeah, trillion dollar deficits rule! you are a clueless piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. the inner cities are filled with dem NO information voters, bwahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Gay Veteran

oh noez, the shmeggle troll is back!

Shmeggle Marxist

hey, its lando suckdickian!

Gay Veteran

yawn, the foul mouthed troll is back

2Gary2

Maybe I am Michael…

2Gary2

I submit that our problem is political and not economical. Other first world countries face the same globalization/technology issues we do and have chosen vastly different paths with far superior results. We are the most unequal country in wealth and income with little to no mobility. I think the economy works just fine for the 1%, many of who are the politicians.

We have one party the conservatives who will go to the mat not to tax the rich yet in the same breath cut safety net programs. We have the dems who pretty much are conservative lite. All you need to do is look at Obama’s record to see he is a moderate republican. He just looks like a socialist as the right is so far in la la land.

I heard an interesting program that compared the tea party to the John Birch society. Scarey similarities.

Shmeggle Marxist

yeah, tax the rich hard you effeminate pos

GSOB

Our Department of Defense is the largest employer in the world. Included are the members of the armed services, the national guard, the reserves and civilian support.
About 3.2 million.

Gay Veteran

our bloated Pentagon needs to have its budget cut by 50%.
and stop sending money and weapons to al Qaeda in Syria

2Gary2

The Republican Plan For The Middle Class…
That’s an oxymoron, is it not?

The GOP is a party that stands for regressive ideologies that are not
in any way or form meant to do anything to support the middle class.
What I see is a disdain for middle-class workers and their families.
Don’t forget Romney’s “47%” gaffe.

The Party of Lincoln has become the Party of Ayn Rand.

Shmeggle Marxist

you are the most clueless pos I have ever encountered. clinton, kennedy, edwards, spitzer, weiner – war on women babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
you clueless pos, obama owns this disaster of an economy, take his weiner out of your butt and think

PAUL

Aristotle once spoke of something called the doctrine of the mean, as in a middle ground or moderation, all or nothing type thinking led us here, no middle ground means no middle class, its all or nothing, all or nothing, its immoral, and all or nothing type of thinking as a life philosophy never lasts.

K

Things are pretty tough in N.E. TN. But they have been that way for a long time. So people are used to getting by on very little. Here is a little preview, for what may be coming to your neighborhood next. Detroit thought they had a problem with people posing as the police. They were robbing the public at gunpoint, after pulling them over for a traffic infraction. Turns out it was the real police doing this. One of them a seventeen year veteran of the force. If this is happening now, imagine when things go bad.

jaded

Link to this story? Wow.

K

myFoxDetroit dot com click on news, scroll down.

El Pollo de Oro

In Rio de Janeiro, four off-duty police officers tried to supplement their income by robbing a small bank in one of the favela shantytown slums. Major problem: the bank was being protected by the local drug lords who controlled the neighborhood. So they weren’t very successful. Oops!

You gotta love a place where cops are bank robbers and the drug traffickers are in charge of protecting the bank.

John

Michael,

Thank you for all the research you have done. I have been following the collapse since ’09. The best plan anyone can have is to adjust with the times.

Sack man

Laughing my butt off. Following the collapse since 2009? You preppers are the blind sheep. I can see it now. Michael, it is now 2017. We are getting close. Adjust with the times.

cherylmeril

The only reason the collapse hasn’t happened yet is due to the federal reserve printing 3 billion dollars per month. It’s now its own counterfeit operation, there is nothing backing it up. When other countries dump the dollar, this country will be toast.

Mondobeyondo

*sigh*
When it does happen, you’ll be the one surprised.

greyprepper

Seriously, preppers are dumb. Only idiots put away for tough times and take measures to provide security for their families and loved ones. Only simpletons and “blind sheep” dare to question the stability of our economic system and the integrity of the msm. And only a fool would dare to strive for self sufficiency in this chaotic world we live in and aspire to make a difference in their community… Sigh. Really dude? Do you even know what a “prepper” is?

JailBanksters

The problem is most people can not Imagine how bad or what the future holds. But if people were asked what life would be like back in 1980, I’m sure nobody would imagine or even believe what today is like.
There is still NO plan, NO direction, NO Idea on what to do next. It’s just Day by Day, Week by Week.
But that’s enough about Australia, what’s the USA going to do !

uglatto

There is no fix politically. People must change. Frankly, I’ve given up on a lot of humans.

JailBanksters

Well, occasionally I like to help the humans

davidmpark

Here’s something that I think everyone should consider: take some time to shut it all off, and test your preparations.

We did this (not really by choice, but so what) and found a lot things we accepted academically and theoretically, or trusted the manufacturer’s labels just didn’t work.

For fuel we had mostly firewood. Storage wasn’t easy and to get a year supply it would take between 20 – 23 cords of wood at least! The methane digester to make natural gas was better. We didn’t realize that until we had to use it exclusively.

Seriously, test your preparations where you are now and see if it works!

jessi

usa collapse will be next year with fatca, Obama care and exchange of bank info by internet.

all banks over the world are kicking out any business with usa. they don’t want be fined billions of dollars for an account not reported by fbar.

usa will finished isolated. this is why you wanted, this is what you will get:total desolation, dooms day coming, watch mad max 1 to get an idea what will happen to you soon.

Sequoia

You forgot to mention that the USA will be a 3.2 million square mile desolate open air prision camp, and nobody will be able to leave,because the military industrial complex will have everyone treated like prisioners.
The USSA will be isolated like North Korea.

Tim

I am from South Australia and have been reading this site for years. The mining boom is over here and unemployment is going up. I have been following China’s market & predicted 3 years ago when the mining boom ends then we are stuffed! I am also worried about the taper which will effect markets world wide.

Georgiaboy61

The death of the middle class will usher in a neo-feudal society in which there are overlords and serfs, aka wage slaves.

chilller

I wonder…if a company that pays out big $$$ to all it’s share holders, took that money and divided it up and added it to employees existing wages, how much would they be making per hour? I’ve never liked the stock market as its only purpose is to siphon off money from the company and give it to a bunch of freeloading banker/gamblers.

Shmeggle Marxist

I am pleased to announce:
Gary2 will marry a hairy beast
lmao at pos libs, lying sacks of garbage that they are

Jodi

Up on the Drudge – Obama’s Grand Bargain: Top Tax Rate for Corporations 28%, 40% for Small Business.

WOW! I work for a small business. I guess it won’t be long til I’m out of a job if this pans out.

Jodi

Or is that just the scoop up on the Drudge.

Fakir Smith

We all know the storm is coming. I am not denying that. What I am saying is it has been coming for decades. There are people who stored food with a 15 year shelve life who need to hurry up and eat it.

Meanwhile people who own sites like this one, sell food and water filters, Alex jones, etc PROFIT.

We all know it’s coming that is obvious. Profiting is something else. You think you’re helping to educate and stop it when that’s the not the reality at all.

It is getting worse despite all the efforts by people like you!

That says it all.

Justin Ayers

This has all been covered. Why the re-tread?

Boo-urns

Because he needs to keep posting in order to drive traffic for his book sales.

seth datta

The NWO corporate/banking elite need to scr@w over the middle/working class by reducing us to slavery/death so they can have their f@cking technocratic socialist dictatorship. I hate guns and yet that is the thing that will keep Americans free whilst the UK circles the drain.

Herman Nelson

Be part of the solution and do what VP Biden said- Buy a Shotgun! I’d go with the Saiga 12 and drum mags.

edrobar2978

We (the western countries) thought outsourcing manufacturing processes and developing services was the best action to be taken, subsequently this phenomenon driven a wedge between soaring consumption and decreasing production with swelling indebtedness in citizens and governments, and the companies are not coming back to their origin countries due to a strict environmental regulation and cheaper labor costs.

markinla

“WE” didn’t. Morons called economists did and corporate management jumped on this stupidity and used it as a backdrop to get policies that lined their pockets and gutted the middle class.

edrobar2978

I partially agree, “WE” didn’t know, but, we voted them and “WE” also expect corporations to hire people, we basically rely on them for job growth that relies on corporate profits, this profits are likely to happen where cheaper labor costs are available. There is no democracy anymore, we have been ruled by bunch of criminals that wants to make us slaves (via debts) forever.

markinla

Where were you in the NAFTA debates? I am sorry if you bought that BS that it was about expanding exports. I knew full well the history of US labor relations so knew it was about screwing employees with impunity and nothing else. I also knew economics is a pseudo- science and give it no credence.

edrobar2978

Economist and goverments believes in the perpetual economic growth in a finite planet, that ended back in 2005.

cherylmeril

The gov’t allows contract workers from india to displace American’s jobs on our own soil. There are multitudes of them hired at major corporations here in San Francisco and I’m doing their refinance loan signings. One of them whose in his mid-30’s refii’d a home in So. Lake Tahoe so he and his wife can get away and relax.

SafetyViking

Times are tough…

SafetyViking

most of these statistics sound like something out of a ghetto or trailer park. From that perspective, they sound ‘real’ enough. As far as upper middle class & above, not so much…which I suppose is the point.

La Fin Du Monde

God has been abandoned. What do you expect to happen? It will only get worse especially for HIS people…………

Boo-urns

So, your god somehow controls the politicians, big businesses and special interests that are ruining everything? But only if they believe in it? Really? So if everyone went to church (and of course it would have to be a Christian church, right? No others would do…) then all would be right with everything, the politicians would stop screwing us, the corporations would stop screwing us, the special interests would stop screwing us? Really? You really believe that?

GSOB

Satan can go no further in punishing than God has limited him.

This is the most grievous temptation for the faithful
: when their faith is assailed, and when Satan goes about to persuade them that they trust in God in vain.

Thank you for the example Boo-urns.

May the Lord bless you.

La Fin Du Monde

Even the “so called” Christians have abandoned God….Truth is not enough for the selfish, greedy, pleasure seekers, etc. One must be REBORN SPIRITUALLY….Prophecy will be fulfilled and we are beginning to see it occur…Satan’s (the prince of this world) system will be coming to an end….

GSOB

“Unbelievers have been accepted into the local church. Spiritual life is at such a low ebb that it is often hard to tell true Christians from mere professors. Christendom is a mixed multitude, and the resulting confusion is devastating.
In the midst of such a condition, Paul finds comfort in the assurance that the solid foundation of God stands. This means that whatever has been established by God Himself will endure in spite of all the declension in the professing church. ”

2 Timothy 2:19

Tom_F

There has only been a substantial “middle class,” in all of civilization, for the past 80 years. Most seem to think it is a ‘natural evolution’ or an ‘entitlement’. Nope. The U.S. first-world middle-class is giving way to the 6.7 billion others on the planet that also want a nice life, and will do what it takes for less money and put in more effort.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to import ignorance and poverty, subsidize the unproductive population segments, and expect the government to ‘do the right thing’. Good luck with that.

Mondobeyondo

Hi Michael,
As many of you already know (but maybe some new members of this blog don’t) – I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Where you live here, determines (to a great extent) your economic well being. Those in the “East Valley” – Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, etc – have the jobs, the opportunities and the transportation. Those in the wealthier areas of the “West Valley” also have these benefits.

The remainder – those who live in the older west side of town, and the south side of town – are mainly forgotten and left to struggle. Many are hard working citizens who just want a chance. Unfortunately, chance costs money, in the view of many people, and as far as the municipal government is concerned, there’s no money for us. It’s cheaper to let them live in a tent in the park, where the cops at least have an excuse to evict them.

Yes, there are rich people here. Drive to Snottsdale, um. Scottsdale, and you will see them. And there are poor people here, too. We have homeless people.

JohnPublic

Why didn’t I read this article 10 years ago???? Stoopid teachers, all they do is tell us to go to college and waste another 2-5 years so the teachers themselves don’t face competition in the job market.

Aside from that, technology has replaced or reduced the need for labour, but rather than helping the working class, it helps the owners of production.

Imagine if every job was done by a robot, even teaching jobs. Not even the teaching unions could stop the robots.

JasonD

All of these problems could be solved by spending about $1000.

Or even less if we just use the same rope over and over

El Pollo de Oro

Greyprepper: I agree. Gary2 has major balls. He’s fearless. And I once saw him getting into it with some feminist readers over at AlterNet, which is a much more left-leaning site (although they’re reprinted some of Michael T. Snyder’s articles). Gary2 didn’t back down there either.

davidmpark

Probably another dumb question… When people talk about saving the middle class, why can’t the middle class save itself? Isn’t that the point of being middle class is that the person advanced on their own talents and abilities? Waiting for the right policy or for others to grant them their right to earn so much or live somewhere specific, or to own this or that… sounds so dependent.

So, why can’t they save themselves?

Louise in MO

You are absolutely right. My parents worked their butts off to move from poor to middle class. Because of their work ethic, I lived by their example and did the same.

This meant at times working a full time job and a part time one also. It meant saving; it meant buying things necessary and putting off vacations etc.

So, yes, you are not handled middle class. You must work hard, very hard.

Louise in MO

It does not help when we have a socialist administration working against the American people. It does not help when citizens hear their president is taking a $100 million vacation to Africa, all the while he constantly gripes abouth the “rich” not doing their part.

Our country continues to collapse because of VERY POOR leadership. Whether Obama calls them “phony” or not, the scandals are real and they cost money! If Americans are getting angry it is over the fact that even though they are losing ground each and every day those in D.C. spend money like drunken sailors.

You keep repeating, Michael, that “desperate people do desperate things” and you are correct. The desperate people who wake up to the fact that their government is stealing their money and assets they will definitely wreck havoc, and it will include bringing those in D.C. down with them.

Personally, I’m sick to death with speeches from Obama. He’s spineless and weak and a lousy president. He could, at least, bring on board REAL economic and learned financial leaders to help him out. However, his narcissism won’t allow him to admit ANY weakess.

We are in a total meltdown from TOP to bottom.

Louise in MO

Great comment! A full and educated explanation of what immigration means to our nation. It should be read by all.

I bookmarked your blog. Thanks for taking the time for your comment.

Louise in MO

I’m impressed! Good for you! Hope your spouse’s health improves.

God bless you and your family!

Greg Burton

Well, it was either:

*Prosecute the bankers for the toxic mortgage/LIBOR scams that impoverished the world, making beggars out of all of us.
*Punish the banking cartel’s (HSBC) multi-billion dollar drug-money laundering operations, really fight the “War on Drugs”.
*Investigate and punish the Bush-CIA-mafia S&L pillage.
*Investigate why jobs and manufacturing are being out-sourced to China, why China is buying US assets at fire sale prices, how China came to own most US debt that financed the US war against…China, even as we are about to go to war with China as it threatens the US economy (national security).
*Stop the looting and privatization of the world’s social safety net and public space, as a result of imposed “austerity” due to the toxic mortgage scam.
*Investigate who was really behind 9/11, the false-flag terrorist attack that touched off the serial, never-ending wars of pillage against the nation-states of the world, creating the pretext for the massive police state edifice now threatening the freedoms of everyone, and providing the “legal basis” for FEMA camp round ups.

OR…

US stands by while cities and towns lose the ability to protect their citizens, while confiscating their guns, have the DHS to buy 2.0 billion hollow-point bullets, while providing”tanks” to US cities and towns, fly thousands of soon to be weaponized spy drones over everywhere, make being elderly, homeless, jobless and hungry a crime, while buying thousands of “FEMA coffins”, and helping to create the conditions for martial law (race-riots, food riots, false-flags).

Michael

Mr. Greenspan is said to have mentioned something like ‘The Party is over, enjoy’. Raising the interest did not help anymore. So the only thing left was to stabilize the system. I think Mr. Greenspan was not wrong concerning this point.

One cannot export inflation and expect others to buy things not offered. Inflation is exported if there is a demand in a foreign country for products the domestic economy produces. Differences are adjusted via the exchange rate – central screw.

The result is simply an adjustment of the average income of all the labor involved. This cannot happen via adjusting the avg. income. It happens via unemployment. At the point in time, those who accumulate wealth benefit.

The value of the time spent is the same – 1 hour. The price is the issue.

A payed job is nothing but redistribution of income in an entity called company outside the redistribution of income state (socialism’s vs. capitalism’s view to salaries)

Now we come to the problem. Usually money printing in order to compensate the false allocation of ‘wealth’ can be compensated via inflation for a long long time. Millionaire is possible – but not billionaires (independent if company, state/inhabitants, human)

A corporate should not accumulate terms of payment beyond what they require.

Capitalism and Socialism are two sides of same medal. Both evolve into the opposite direction.

What I think happens at the moment is, that either a restart is being prepared or a transformation into socialism in order evolve into capitalism again.

If you make a reset and redistribute wealth and income in a way Austria does have. We have a similar purchasing power to the U.S. and many more or less rich wealthy people. Maybe millionaires but not XX billionaire.

Anyway a good time to go into metals and real world products. In the bitter end, people need material stuff. So the the view that service sectors are sustain is almost insane and the value of retail is the power to distribute goods).

The rest of world can no longer take over the dollar. The Euro is already about 72% dollar. One currency for the world will not work, the Euro does not even work smoothly for the Euro region.

gabesgrandma1939

Tell it to the Indians, you know, our native Americans. I bet they think of the colonists as immigrants.

http://americandictators.blogspot.com/ WarriorClass III

You’d lose the bet. Perhaps you should actually do the research and learn something.

http://americanmoocher.com/scoreboard AmericanMoocher

La, la, la, la..keep voting for us. Look at the Dow go! La, la, la..

Donna Thorne

The most important thing a person can do right now is make sure of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is our only Hope. Judgment is coming. Storm clouds are gathering, as are foreign troops on American soil.

Jay Star

I love the invest in gold at the end of this doom and gloom. How may I ask are you suppose to do that when you already are down and out and not necessarily in Beverly Hills? Most seniors are screwed and the young folks too. Yet according to the government everything is improving as we speak. Maybe for them but not the rest of us.

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

In other words Reagan and the Right has had a huge success in their quest for creating their very own 3rd world country right here at home oppressing labor.

Uhh they forgot the variable of who is going to buy their WallMart Junk when even their own employees cannot afford to shop there w/o decent take home pay.

The few will soon find their Greed is killing their Golden goose, and they’ll have to eat each other.

Give Real American Families the same interest rates as the too big to fail predators w/their feet on our throats and their teaser rates and predatory lending!

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

Vote and Scream out for the same Lending Rates given the Jamie Dimon’s and Goldman Sachs etc, i.e. your local bank, intent on Fleecing the Nation thru their high interest rates and a life long Debtor nation benefitting only the few?

This is our money either from tax dollars or Printed debt we all share an interest in?

Why should a Chosen few reap all the rewards at the cost of OUR Country?

http://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivan.940 Brenda Sullivan

When it became acceptable and in vogue to profit off the oppresive nature of NAFTA and the same business model Here and abroad we began our downhill slide.

Responsibility in purchasing begins to speak louder than words. Wether it be Wallmart or the New Ford and their 3rd world plants along w/every other major auto company an/or maufacturer foreign or domestic?

Stepping on another for profit here or there should never be accepted as anything less than UGLY.